19/12/2025
Small Wins, Big Energy
When you have ADHD, the idea of small wins can feel trivial. Your brain often tells you that unless you complete the entire project, clean the whole house, or finish every task on your list, it doesn't count. But here's what I've learned working with clients and living with ADHD myself: small wins aren't just progress, they're fuel.
With ADHD, motivation doesn't work the way most people think it does. You can't always summon energy to start a task. But you can create energy by starting small and letting momentum build. When you put one dish in the dishwasher, respond to one email, or write one sentence, your brain gets a tiny hit of dopamine. That dopamine creates a spark. And that spark can turn into momentum.
Small wins work because they lower the barrier to starting. When a task feels huge, your brain resists. When it's small, your brain says okay, I can do that. They create immediate feedback, which ADHD brains need. They build trust with yourself. Every time you follow through on something small, you prove to yourself that you can start and finish.
Instead of needing to clean your entire kitchen, try clearing off one section of the counter. Instead of exercising for an hour, do five minutes of movement. Instead of finishing the whole report, write the first paragraph. The goal is to start with the small win and let it create energy for what comes next.
Here's the most important part: you have to actually acknowledge the win. Your brain needs to register that you did something worth recognizing. When you complete a small win, pause for just a moment and notice it. This simple acknowledgment strengthens the motivation loop and makes it easier to start the next small win.
Small wins aren't a compromise or a lesser version of real productivity. They're the foundation of sustainable progress for ADHD brains. Big energy doesn't come from forcing yourself to do everything at once. It comes from honoring where you are, starting small, and building momentum one tiny step at a time. You don't need to do it all today. You just need to do one small thing. And that one small thing counts.
